Huntington’s Disease: Symptoms, Causes, And Potential Treatments

Huntington’s Disease: Symptoms, Causes, And Potential Treatments

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a fatal hereditary and progressive brain disorder. You can’t “catch” it from another person. Every child of a parent with HD has a 50/50 chance of carrying the faulty gene. There are approximately 30,000 symptomatic Americans and more than 200,000 at-risk of inheriting the disease.

Although symptoms may first show up in midlife, Huntington’s can strike anyone from childhood to advanced age. Over 10 to 25 years, the disease gradually kills nerve cells in the brain. This affects the body, mind, and emotions.

Symptoms can vary greatly from person to person. And stress or excitement can worsen symptoms.

Some symptoms are easier to spot than others. Abnormal movements may be the first thing you notice. Weight loss can be a concern at all stages. Symptoms of Huntington’s disease tend to develop in stages.

Huntington’s Disease: Early Stage Symptoms

Changes may be quite subtle in early stages, making it possible to keep driving and working. You may just require a little extra help.

Some common early symptoms:

Slight changes in coordination, affecting balance or making you more clumsy

Fidgety movements that you can’t control

Slowing or stiffness

Trouble thinking through problems

Depression or irritability

Huntington’s Disease: Middle Stage

With time, symptoms begin to interfere more with your day-to-day life. For example, you might start to drop things or to fall. Or you may have trouble speaking or swallowing.

Staying organized may be difficult. And emotional changes may put pressure on relationships.

Huntington’s Disease: Late Stage.

In this stage, people with Huntington’s must depend on others for their care. Walking and speaking are not possible, Most likely you will still be aware of loved ones around you. Fidgety movements may become severe, or may subside.

In children Huntington’s may progress more quickly and cause symptoms like:

Stiff or awkward walking

Increased clumsiness

Changes in speech

Trouble learning new information, or loss of previously learned skills

Huntington’s Disease: Causes

In 1993, researchers found the gene that causes Huntington’s. Everyone has the HD gene, but in some families an abnormal copy of the gene gets passed from parent to child. If you have a parent with Huntington’s disease, you have a 50% chance of having the gene and developing the disease.

Also:

Men and women are equally likely to inherit the abnormal gene.

If you don’t have the abnormal gene, you can’t get Huntington’s or pass it on to your children.

The disease doesn’t skip generations.

If you or members of your family plan to be tested for Huntington’s, it’s a good idea to get professional genetic counseling first. Counselors can help explain what to expect from the test results.

With knowledge about the HD gene, scientists have been able to learn a great deal about how the disease affects the brain. More importantly, this discovery may help pave the way for future treatment.

Huntington’s Disease: Treatments

There is no current effective treatment for Huntington’s. At best, current treatments can make the patient more comfortable. Current treatments include:

Speech or language therapy may be helpful for any problems with speech or swallowing.

Occupational or physical therapy may help to better control movements. And assistive devices such as handrails can help you manage your changing physical abilities.

Nutritional support ranges from using special utensils to focusing on nutrient-dense foods to supplementing with tube feeding in later stages.

Exercise may be very helpful. People with Huntington’s who stay as fit and active as they can seem to do better than those who do not.

Just as important is getting support for any changes in your emotions and how you think. Depression often responds well to standard treatments. And basic strategies like breaking tasks into simpler steps may go a long way toward making these changes a bit easier for you and your family.

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Barry G

barry@skycaremedia.com

Barry graduated from City University of New York and holds a Ph.D. in Physiological Psychology.

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